The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-07
THE CHEROKEE TROUBLE.
HOW IT AROSE AND WHAT IT IS
ABOUT

companies InOuBnC To DC EuLLiIlS
Up Boodle-The Votes for the Rival
Chiefs to be Counted To-Day.
In our dispatches yesterday there was
published card from Chief Bushyhead and
prominent citizens of Tahlequah, the capital
of the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory,
that the report that half of the citizens of
Tahlequah had left their homes in eXpecta-
ton of a resort to arms to-day between the
contending factions was not in all respects
true. There is great deal of excitement,
however, and it is impossible TO say that
there will not be serious trouble to-day
when the canvassing of the vote begins in
the Council A special from Tahiequah gives
the following history of the trouble:
A disputed election is the issue. At the
national election held three months ago
Joseph Bryant Mayes was the Downing
party candidate for principal chief, and
Rabbit Bunch was the candidate for the
same office of the National party. Bunch
has been assistant principal chief for the
past four years He is a half-breed, and
Mayes is a white man with a bare trace of
Cherokee blood. The election resulted in
Aayes' election by a majority of l3l in
total vote of less than 5000. In the cleo
Bunch was supported by the present (Bushy
head administration, and the Nationals
felt certain that he would be elected chief.
There are nine districts in the Cherokee
Nation. and according to law the Sheriff of
each district forwards to the High Sheriff
at Tahlequah the election returns. About
month ago the returns were taken from
their depository to private house in Table
quah. and there, it is claimed, doctored so
that Bunch, instead Of being in a minority,
came out l40 votes ahead of MayeS. This
announcement had the same effect on the
Downing people that lack Chambers
famous declaration that Hayes was elected
had on the Democrats of the country in No
vember, 1876. Tn, Downings cried fraud,
the Nationals VIII = f. an homes. ballot.
There is no legal E'"rinery in the nation
by which the hopesy o. the vote could be
tested. The Cherokee, . institution and laws
make no prc = =, 10 ballot-box Stufiing or
a disputed eie,sN".
The popu'aS,. of the nation is less than
$4,000, and tn. voting strength is about
5000 The voters are divided about as fol-
lows: Mixed blood, 1900; full blood, 1000;
naturalized citizens 1000: negroes, 500:
Delawares and Shawnees merged with the
Cherokees, 500. Politically, the population
is evenly divided and in case of civil war,
which now seems inevitable, it will be
neighbor against neighbor, brother against
brother, son against father. The officials of
the nation are also divided politically. Five
Sheriffs are Downingites and four Nationals
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
will canvass the vote next Monday, and if
Bunch is declared elected the Downings will
Immediately appeal to arms according to
present appearances The National Council
is made up of two houses and has sixty-four
members in joint session. The vote for
Chief will have to be csnvassed in joint ses-
sion. The Nationals have three majority in |
tha Council oo joint ballot-the Downings |
controlling the House aud the Nationals the |
Senate. Because of the National majority |
in the Council the Downings presume that |
Bunch will be counted in. The Nationals
are really Republicans and the Downings
Democrats. Party divisions are much the |
same as in the States, but Chero- |
kee pride forbids the use of the United States
party names.
The great issue in the contest for chief is
the leasing Of 6,000,0 acres of Cherokee
lands to a cattle syndicate. The Cherokee
territory is composed of II, 000, 900 acres of
land. OF this 5000, 600 have been leased to a
cattle syndicate at a rental of 100000 a
year for number of years past. The lease
expires this year, and the real battle is for
its renewal. The National party is in favor
of renewing the lease for ten years at the |
same rental; the Downings advocate !
lease for the 100000 acre strip to the :
highest bidder. The Downings claim
that if the leasing of the lands is
submitted to competition, 100000 a |
year can be easily obtained 1t is hardly |
necessary to state that the cattle barons who |
are the present lessoes of the 5000, 900 are in
favor of the Inauguration Of Bunch as prin- |
cipal chief. Bunch is an ignorant half |
breed who can neither read nor write. and |
who does not understand word Of English. |
Mayes, the Downing candidate, is gradu- |
ate of the University of Virginia, and has
been Chief Justice o. the Supreme Court of |
the nation. There is hardly a doubt that |
Doodle is playing a considerable part in the !
contest. The cattle syndicate can well |
afford TO spend $l00,0 900 to get Bunch in
augurated principal chief, and keep Mayes
and the Downings out of power If Bunch |
succeeds to the chie1taincy the renewal of
the syndicates lease of 5000, 900 acres of |
land will almost ertainly follow. If MayeS
is inaugurated L. is almost certain that the |
lease OF the Ian! will be offered to the
highest bidder The land is leased by the
National Council i b the advice and con-
sent of tie IA eff. Without the chiefs
advice and COZ int the lease cannot be
made. Hence it can be seen that the cattle
barons are anxious to keep Mayes out
1t is no secret that the money of the cat
tie barons and the advice of land sharks
sponsible for the entire row There is not
reasonable doubt that Mayes was honestly
elected. The land sharks, however, think
that if a civil war can be precipitated it will
result in
ABoILsHTNG THE SYSTEM
of holding the lands in common and force
allotment. This would provide rich pas
ture for land sharks, as the allotment of the
lands would inevitably break up the Chero-
kee Nation as it now exists, and throw the
Territory open to settlement. In this con-
nection it might be stated tnat there is no
great reason why the Territory should not
be thrown open to settlement. The Chero-
kee is a humbug, pure and simple. You
would have TO rake the nation To find 500
full-blooded Cherokees. The people are as
white as they are in Missouri, Kansas,
Texas or Arkansas, and Just as intelligent
They have been dead-beating on the general
government for years, and there is no rea-
son why they should have privileges and
immunities that are denied to the people of
the neighboring States
Bushyhead, the present chief, is pretty
sharp customer He has had his fill of the
honors and emoluments, and if accounts
are true, would welcome breaking UP of
the present Cherokee system. When he re-
tires from the chieftaincy, as he win in
few days. he would like to open land
agency. He is avaricious and ambitious.
The opening Of the territory TO general
sentiment would create opportunities for
him. The lands would be ON the market,
mn 10 lilo l,f 1O a..